Conventionally, roulette is a table game that includes a roulette wheel and a roulette betting table. FIG. 1A illustrates a simplified view of a conventional roulette wheel 100 of the type used in the United States, and FIG. 1B illustrates a simplified view of a corresponding, conventional roulette betting table 101. The roulette wheel of FIG. 1A shows an American style roulette wheel, comprising pockets 102 numbered one (1) through thirty-six (38). The roulette wheel 100 also includes a pocket 108 numbered zero (0), and a pocket 110 numbered double zero (00). Half the numbered pockets 102 are red pockets 104, and half the numbered pockets 102 are black pockets 106, as shown in FIG. 1. The zero pocket 108 and the double zero pocket 110 are green. Zero pocket 108 and double zero pocket 110 provide casinos a house advantage. European style roulette wheels are similar to the American style roulette wheel 100 of FIG. 1A, but include only thirty-seven (37) numbered pockets 102, and do not include the double zero pocket 110.
The roulette betting table 101 includes a plurality of betting spaces 112. The plurality of betting spaces 112 includes a plurality of single-number betting spaces 114 corresponding to each of the numbered pockets 102, which are arranged into three columns and twelve rows. The betting table 101 also includes a single betting space corresponding to the zero pocket 108 and a single betting space corresponding to the double zero pocket 110. The betting table also includes a plurality of descriptive betting spaces 116. The plurality of descriptive betting spaces 116 includes three two-to-one betting spaces 130, each being disposed at the end of one of the three columns of single number betting spaces 114. The plurality of descriptive betting spaces 116 further includes three betting spaces corresponding respectively to the “1st 12” of the numbered pockets 102, the “2nd 12” of the numbered pockets 102, and the “3rd 12” of the numbered pockets 102. Accordingly, the 1st 12 betting space is located beside the first four rows of the single-number betting spaces 114, the 2nd 12 betting space is located beside the middle four rows of the single-number betting spaces 114, and the 3rd 12 betting space is located beside the last four rows of the single-number betting spaces 114.
The plurality of descriptive betting spaces 116 further includes six even-money betting spaces 132. The even-money betting spaces 132 include a “LOW” betting space 118 (which corresponds to the lower half of the numbered pockets 102, which are those numbered one (1) through eighteen (18)), a “HIGH” betting space 120 (which corresponds to the upper half of the numbered pockets 102, which are those numbered nineteen (19) through thirty-six (36)), an “EVEN” betting space 122 (corresponding to the even numbered pockets 102), an “ODD” betting space 124 (corresponding to the odd numbered pockets 102), a red betting space 126 (corresponding to the red pockets of the numbered pockets 102), and a black betting space 128 (corresponding to the black pockets of the numbered pockets 102).
In a roulette game, a player may place one or more bets by placing wagers in the form of money or chips in any of the betting spaces 112, along lines between the betting spaces 112 which are characterized as “splits,” or at the intersections of lines between the betting spaces 112, which are characterized as “boxes.” As non-limiting examples, possible bets include a single number bet, a split bet (a bet placed on a line between two adjacent single-number betting spaces 114), a corner bet (a bet placed at the point at which two perpendicular lines intersect between at the adjacent corners of four single-number betting spaces 114), a three number street bet (a bet placed beside one of the sixteen rows of three single-number betting spaces 114 on a line extending alongside the sixteen rows of three single-number betting spaces 114), a basket bet (a bet placed on the bottom left corner of the number 1, which comprises a wager covering 0, 00, 1, 2 and 3 and which pays 6 to 1), and a double street bet (a bet placed at the bottom of the layout between two numbers, for example 1 and 4, that wagers on the six numbers above and which pays 5 to 1). Other bets include the zero bet, the double zero bet, any of the three “2 to 1” bets, the “1st 12” bet, the “2nd 12” bet, the “3rd 12” bet, and any of the even money bets (LOW, HIGH, RED, BLACK, ODD, and EVEN). Some bets are less commonly made by players compared to others during roulette game play. For example, red and black bets are relatively common, whereas high and low bets are relatively uncommon.
To play roulette, bets are placed by players on the roulette betting table 101. A croupier spins the roulette wheel 100 in a first rotational direction, and then spins a ball in the opposite rotational direction on an inclined surface 103 of the roulette wheel 100. The ball comes to rest in one of the pockets 102, after which all wagers are settled by the croupier.
The greater the number of single-number betting spaces 114 included in a bet, the higher the probability that a player will win. The payout a winning bet receives is lower for a higher probability win, and the payout is higher for a lower probability win. For example, a single-number bet has a relatively low probability ( 1/38) of winning, so the payout is relatively high. As another example, an even-money bet has a relatively high probability (18/38) of winning, so the payout is relatively low.
Successful casino games give players the appearance of an advantage. For example, the revolutionary card game “LET IT RIDE®” allows players to retract a wager previously made, which gives the appearance of an advantage.